Hand labeling machine



y 1951 A. FERRATO HAND LABELING MACHINE Filed April 15 INVENTOR. I44 00 FER/Q4 TO.

Patented May 15, 1951 q -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND LABELING MACHINE Aldo Ferrato, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application April 15, 1948, Serial N0. 21,262

3 Claims. (Cl. 91-38) My invention is an improvement in the art, both method and means, of manipulating and applying adhesively, comparatively small gummed labels, to articles such as bottles, cartons, or the like.

It also has in View to provide means for such operations, by hand application successively, to the foremost ends of a pack of labels, including initial removal, moistening, and placement.

The invention, in its entirety, involves preliminary manipulation of the pack of slight reverse outward bending, withdrawal of the uppermost label, and moistening of its gummed back preparatory to application to the article to be labeled.

Also, an especially effective supporting and retarding platform surface, active in arresting all but the uppermost one of the pack leaves, and facilitating independent grasping and removal of such uppermost one, for wiping it over a moistening element, just prior to placement.

The invention also includes a liquid reservoir, and means for retaining therein a water absorbent moistener for the label as withdrawn, in suitable operative relation to the retarding platform, all as shall be more fully hereinafter described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation, partly in section on the line II-II of F g. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line III-HI of Fig. 2.

Fig. an isometric view-of the retaining frame for the moistener.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a plurality of labels as grouped on the platform.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary portion of the retarding covering for the platform.

In its entirety, the labelling machine comprises a main rectangular frame having a base 2, side walls 3, 3, a rear end wall 4, a front end wall 5, and an intervening cross partition 6.

Between end wall 5 and partition 6, is a reservoir or well "I, for enclosure therein of a moistening pack 8, of suitable material. One such pack, which I have used with good results, is made of a roll of suitable absorbent fabric, as cotton or wool cloth, capable of easy deformation for placement in the well I.

For the purpose of retaining the moistening pack 8 in position in the Well, and for holding it in place with its upper surface somewhat flattened and slightly rounded, and in proper operative relation to the main supporting platform 9 of the machine, the holding frame as shown in Fig. 4, is provided.

It consists of a light skeleton like wire frame, having end arms I0, l0, an inner side arm ll,

. and a pair of opposite outer side arms, l2 and I3,

providing major and minor clearance openings. Arms I I and I3 are so spaced apart as to embrace and retain, by pinching action, the upper partly flattened portion of the pack 8. The frame and its portions are fixedly held in position by any suitable means, as a screw I4, engaging lug l5 .and the outer arm 12, thus being adapted for easy placement and removal of the holding frame, or adjustment thereof.

As shown in Fig. 2 the side arm I l of the frame extends inwardly, underneath and slightly beyond the terminal edge of the platform 9.

The saidplatformt, of the form illustrated, consists of a continuous sheet metal plate, laid over the top portion of the machine, beyond the well '7, and secured in any suitable manner. One

"such manner, is by connecting screws or bolts ing layer l8 in the form of a flexible sheet of sandpaper, emery cloth, or other sharp adhering surface material, for efiicient engagement against the under gummed edge surfaces of the labels, in Withdrawing the uppermost, one at a time, from the pack of labels.

I have found excellent results by the use of a sheet of Carborundum paper. Such material is remarkably effective, being not only waterproof, but highly eflicient in effecting frictional retardation, preventing undesired slippage of the entire series of the pack of labels.

Such surface material, being composed of very finely divided minute particles of sharp flint-like comminuted grains, and glued to the sheet I8 on the platform 9. The sheet 18 may be laid over and turned around backwardly of the end and side edges of the platform, or may be glued to the platform, and secured as shown.

The outer end portion of the platform and its retarding covering, are curved upwardly as shown, providing a downwardly disposed concaved surface beyond the flat horizontal delivery portion, which is continued and terminates to- 3 ward and adjacent the surface of the moist pack 8.

In assembling a series of the several sheets A of the pack of labels, they may first be manually bent outwardly at the top, as a pack of any predetermined number, temporarily approximating the curvature of the supporting platform and its retarding surfacing l8, their opposite advancing edges remaining' straight. H l V w I By such arrangement, the several sheets, as laid one after another, each projecting slightly at the approaching end, toward the withdrawal position, with relation to the moisteni'ng pack 8. In such arrangement, and preferably by moistening the finger or fingers, as upon pack'Bfthe several terminal edges are first tdepressedcagainst the platform.

4 therein, with apertured means retaining said element in position, a supporting platform extending horizontally from the reservoir and its m0istening element and having an upwardly concaved opposite end portion, and a covering conforming thereto having an abrasive surface for retarding and arresting movement of labels laid thereon. v Y s I v '2. In a handflabellmg machine; the combination with a supporting base, and an endmost reservoir and a moistening element therein, with J'ineans retaining said moistening element in positic n, a-supporting platform extending horizon- Ihereupon, each individual uppermost sheet A I maybe withdrawn over the others, without disturbance, and across the moistened surface of the pack 8, completely wetting itsgummed under side, preparatory-to applying to a bottle or the like.

In such operation, the Carborundum sheet 8 1 efiectsretardation of 'all -of 'the several remaining layers, or individual labels, sothat only the uppermost sheet may 'be drawn 'off, moistened, and applied in place on the article, the remaining series throughout being frictionally held until such final withdrawal.

In this manner, the severalseries of sheets, or

"pac-ks may be laid-"in position,with the slight ti-r-ig','als'o moisteningfithe sing'le sheets of'a'pack, for immediate removal and application,-a's described.

'scription. "1ft provides 'a' simple, effective, and efficient means for rapidly handling and assort- It will' be understood that thema'chine maybe r of a I suitable size, in View of the size -of labels to be used on it, or may be changed or varied "in construction "various details, or otherwise, but that all such changes or modifications are understood to be within the scope of the-following claims.

I cIaim V lJ'In combinati n W'ith a suppcirt'ing ba'se, and san endmost reservo'ir an-d 'a m'oistening* element ially backwardly from the reservoir and its moistening element and having an upwardly concaved I :op'posite end: portion, and a covering conforming theretohaving an abrasive surface for retarding and arresting movement of labels laid thereon inthe form of a pack with the advancing edges of the successive labels overlapping each other.

In a hand labelling machine, the com-bination'with asupporting-base, and an endmost reservoir and a-mois'ten-i-ng element therein, with means retaining said element in position, a'supporting platform extending horizontally from the reservoir and its moistening"clement and having an upwardly inclined concaved opposite end portion, and a covering "conforming thereto con- I sisting of a-s'heet ofCarborundum pajper'doubled 30* around the edges of the platform andsecured in position for retardingand arresting movement of labels laid thereon m the 'formof a packwith "the advancingedges ofthe' successive labels-overlapping successively beyond -'each adjacent -label iWhB Teby the terminal-edge portions of several -labels" may be manually depresse'd =into 'contact with such abrasive surface, and the uppermost "label of the pack maybe withdrawn 'over the moistening element; v

*file of this patent:

UNITED STATES'PATENTS Number Name Date 900,352 Browne Got. 6, "1 908 1 1,208,745 Cary et al -l Dec. '19, 1-91 6 1,717,747 Uttz June 18,-1929 1,756,239 Zurndorf l June 24, 1930 '2,269,9FZ9 

